Karen,
 
  Don't be afraid to bathe your critter as much as you want to do so!
Ours get a bath once or twice a week and won't make you smell when you
pick them up (much to the surprise of a guest the other day, who didn't
want to touch them because of her good clothes).  Our guys love to get
baths because they associate that with play time.  I'd highly recommend
Professional Pet Products Ferret Shampoo!  Out of the five different
kinds that we've tried, it's the only kind that really gets rid of the
smell, the others just covered it up.  if you can't find it locally, you
can call the company (call 1-800-555-1212 and ask for their number).  We
buy about $40 worth every year and always get a lot of sample bottles to
give to our friends.
 
  Regarding carpet digging, he'll go right through to the wood
flooring, then when he finds the wood, he'll just move over to the
remaining carpet.  I would highly suggest caging your fuzzy at night when
you're not up to watch him.  It could save his life!
 
   Good luck!
 
   While I'm here, if someone from GEnie, Compuserve, and any other
online service would contact me, I'd really appreciate it (AOL is
covered, though).  I've just started a mailing list about playing the
mountain dulcimer and I'd like to advertise it on there.
 
jwc
[Posted in FML issue 1082]